Woven wire cloth

ABSTRACT

A woven wire cloth for use in filters and the like having a plurality of crimped fill wires passing alternately over and under one or more straight warp wires, and additionally including a crimped locking warp wire for engaging and abutting the fill wires to prevent lateral movement thereof.

United States Patent Daringer 1 Apr. 25, 1972 54 WOVEN WIRE CLOTH [56] References Cited [72] Inventor: Ronald G. Darlnger, Cambridge, Md. UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 Assisneei cambridfle Wire Company 3,000,771 9/1961 Runton ..139/40s v g 1 3,502,116 3/1970 Crawford.... .....l39/425 [22] Filed: Sept; 29 1970 2,237,115 4/1941 Santos ..l39/4l5 I [21] Appl. No.: 76,435 I Primary Examiner- Henry S Jaudon Attorney-Cushman, Darby & Cushman [52] US. Cl ...'..139/425 57 ABSTRACT [51] Int. Cl. ..D03d 15/02 [58] I Field of Search I I I I I n-mlsgnss 384, 408415 A woven wire cloth for use 1n filters and the like having a plu- I 139/425 426 rality of crlmped fill wires passing alternately over and under one or more straight warp wires, and additionally including a crimped locking warp wire for engaging and abutting the fill wires to prevent lateral movement thereof.

11 Claims, 4 Drawlng Figures WOVEN WIRE CLOTH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to wire cloth, and more particularly to a modification of the typical Dutch weave. In the typical Dutch'weave, all the wires in one direction (warp wires) are practically straight and all the wires in the other direction (fill wires) are heavily crimped and pass over and under the warp wires in each direction so that adjacent fill wires pass on alternate sides of the warp wires. The fill wires are beaten-up" against each other to form a tight weave. In this manner, only the crimping of the fill wires provides open areas. As such, it will be appreciated that this type of weave is highly acceptable for use in filters. After a piece of woven wire filter cloth has been in service for some time in a corrosive environment, there is measurable loss of wire diameter which causes the cloth to become loose. In other words, as the fill wires are reduced in diameter, they will tend to remain close to each other by slipping along the straight warp wires.' At some point in the filter cloth, definite and measurable gaps between the fill wires will result as the fill wires are reduced in diameter. Such gaps, in turn, cause the cloth to lose its filtration characteristics.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to provide a more effective filter cloth, a locking wire has been woven into the cloth to secure the fill wires against lateral movement. In other words, an extra warp wire was included in each group of warp wires, and in weaving the cloth, the motion of the loom was modified to weave this extra warp wire over and under selected fill wires. In this manner, the heavily crimped warp wire holds the fill wires rigidly in place so that after the fill wires have corroded, they are not likely to alter their relative position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an enlarged top plan view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view taken from above and to one side of the conventional Dutch weave;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 ofFIG. I; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 discloses a woven wire cloth having a plurality of generally straight warp wires 12, a plurality of crimped fill wires 14 and a plurality of crimped warp wires 16 which perform a locking function. In order to show the structural difference between the invention disclosed in FIG. 1 and the prior art (FIG. 2), there is shown in FIG. 2 a woven wire cloth 18 having a double-warp plain Dutch weave. For further comparison purposes, like parts in the invention and the conventional weave are given the same identifying number.

The conventional cloth 18 in FIG. 2 comprises a plurality of crimped fill wires which pass alternately over and under pairs of generally straight warp wires in both directions. Considering one pair of straight warp wires, 12a and 12b, it will be noted that one fill wire 14a passes over the pair of straight warp wires while the adjacent fill wire 14b passes under the pair of straight warp wires. The plain Dutch weave can be woven with one, two, three or any number of warp wires. Since the warp wires are straight, the crimped fill wires can be driven close together. The fill wires cannot move or slide on the straight warp wires because they rest one against the other. As long as there is no wear or corrosion to change the physical dimensions of the fill wires, the cloth remains intact to form its function properly. However, if the physical size of the fill wires is reduced by wear or corrosion, not only do the individual openings in the wire increase, but the adjacent fill wires no longer support themselves in the same location. The fill wires then become loose on the straight warp wires and are free to slide up and down on the warp wires. The decrease in the size of the fill wire can become accumulative as the fill wires tend to slide in one direction. This accumulation results in an undesirable filtration opening in the cloth.

Considering- FIG. 1, it will be noted that a modification has been made to the double-warp plain Dutch weave. The generally straight warp wires passing through the bight 36 of the fill wires are spaced from each other and a locking means, such as a crimped warp wire 16, is inserted between the straight warp wires of each pair of warp wires, as at 12a and 12b. The crimped fill wires pass over and under each pair of warp wires, as at 12a and 12b, in both directions. In other words, fill wire 14a passes over warp wires 12a and 12b while the adjacent crimped fill wire 14b passes under warp wires 12a and 12b. Each of the pairs of warp wires are spaced from each other, as at 20, so that the direction of the crimped fill wire can alternate, i.e., pass from a position over the warp wires to one under the warp wires.

Each of the warp wires in a pair, for example, wires 12a and 12b, are spaced from each other and receive crimped warp wire 16 therebetween in a plane parallel to the generally straight warp wires. Each crimped warp wire 16 has altemately downwardly facing bights 22 and upwardly facing bights 24. The downwardly facing bight'22 has a vertex 26 as its midpoint while the upwardly facing bight 24 has a vertex 28 at its midpoint. The vertex of each bight of the crimped warp wires 16 has at least one fill wire 14 engaged therein, and, in the interior portion of the cloth, at least one non-engaged fill wire abutting or adjacent the outside surface 30 of the crimped warp bight, as at 32. The crimped fill wires are engaged on the outside surface 34 of their own bights 36 by the crimped warp wire.

Examining FIGS. 1 and 3, it will be noted that nine fill wires have been numbered 14a-14i for the purpose of discussion. Fill wires 14a, 14d and 14g are engaged" fill wires while fill wires 14b, 14c, 14e, 14f, 14h and 14i are non-engaged fill 'wires. Some of the fill wires are engaged throughout their length by the crimped warp wire 16, while other fill wires. throughout their length, are not engaged but rather abut or lie adjacent the outside surface 30 of the crimped warp wire 16. Adjacent engaged fill wires 14a and 14d are laterally separated from each other by two non-engaged fill wires, namely, wires 14b and Me. Considering engaged fill wires on the same side of the cloth, namely, wires 14a and 14g, it will be seen that they are separated by five fill wires, namely, wires 14b-l4. However, when viewing the cloth in plan view, as in FIG. 1, one only sees, at the intersection of the crimped warp wire, two fill wires, namely, wires 14c and Me. The outsides 30 of the adjacent bights 22 pinch the wires 14c and 14a together. Of course, the construction on the reverse side of the cloth is identical, and their bights pinch, for example, wires 14f and 14h together.

Considering FIG. 4, it will be noted that the fill wires 14 are likewise crimped and alternately pass over and under adjacent pairs of the warp wires 12. As illustrated there is an even number of straight warp wires (e.g., two) received within each bight 36 of each fill wire. When there is an even number of straight warp wires, for example, wires 12a and 12b, the wires of each unit are separated by the crimped warp wire 16. The number of warp wires received within each bight 36 of the fill wires can vary from one on up, but preferably there is an even number of such wires so that the crimped warp wire willseparate an equal number of straight warp wires in the bight 36 of each fill wire. Moreover, the crimp of the locking warp wire might vary so as to engage more than one fill wire. Likewise, it might be possible touse other locking means between adjacent straight warp wires to effect the same result.

It would also be possible to space such crimped warp wires by skipping one or more bights of the crimped fill wires i.e., by positioning these locking, crimped warp wires at every other bight, but an additional straight warp wire would have to be used within the bights having no crimped warp wire.

referred to as non-engaged fill wiresand they may or may not abut the outsides 3 of bights 22.

While a preferred form of the invention has been illustrated in the drawings and discussed above, it should be adequately clear that considerable modification may be made thereto without departing from the principles of the invention. Therefore, the foregoing should be considered in an illustrative sense ratherthari a limiting sense, and accordinglythe extent of this invention should be limited only by the spirit and scope of the claims appended thereto.

What is claimed is:

1. A woven wire cloth for use in filters and the like comprislng:

a plurality of generally straight warp wires;

a plurality of crimped fill wires, each crimped fill wire having alternately downwardly and upwardly facing bights, each fill wire passing alternately over and under spaced ones of said warp wires, and each straight warp wire being passed over by at least one of said crimped fill wires and engaged by at least one of said downwardly facing bights of said fill wires, and being passed under at least one of said crimped-fill wires laterally adjacent to said fill wire passing over said warp wire and engaged by at least one of said upwardly facing bights of said fill wires; and

a plurality of crimped warp wires lying in planes parallel to the straight warp wires, each crimped warp wire having alternately downwardly and upwardly facing bights, each bight of said crimped warp wires having at least one fillv wire engaged therein and having at least one fill wire adjacent the outside thereof, some of the crimped fill wires being engaged in a bight of each crimped warp wire and other of the crimped'fill wires lying adjacent the outside of the bight of each crimped warp wire and never being engaged in a bight of the crimped warp wires.

2. The woven wire cloth defined in claiml wherein the plurality of generally straight warp wires comprises spaced groupings of the straight'warp wires, each grouping comprising at least two straight wires and wherein each of the crimped warp wires lies between two of the straight wires in a grouping.

3..T he woven wire cloth defined in claim 1 wherein said engaged crimped fill wires are engaged on the outside of their own bights:

4. The woven wire cloth defined in claim 1 wherein each crimped warp wire engages the same fill wires.

5. The woven wire cloth defined in claim 1 wherein there are two non-engaged fill wires lying between adjacent engaged fill wires, said adjacent engaged fill wires being engaged in bights of the crimped warp wires facing in opposite directions.

6. The woven wire cloth defined-in claim 1 wherein there is an even number. of straight warp wires received within each bight of each crimped fill wire.

7-. The woven wire defined-in claim 6 wherein one of said crimped warp wires is received between the even number of straight warp wires within each bight of each fill'wire.

8. Thevwoven wire cloth defined inc claim 6 wherein there are two straight warp wires received within each bight of each fill wire, said two straight warp wires being spaced from each other.

9. The woven wire cloth defined in claim 6 wherein each crimped fill wire passes alternately over and under adjacent pairs of said straight warp wires, each of the straight warp wires of each pair being separated by a crimped warp wire lying in a plane generally parallel to the straight warp wires.

10. Awoven wire cloth for use in filters and the like comprising:

a plurality of generally straight warp wires;

a plurality of crimped fill wires, each fill wire passing altemately over and under spaced roupsof strai ht warp wires, each group comprising at east two straig t wires,

said two straight wires in each group being spaced from each other; and

means for locking the crimped fill wires in place, the locking means being positioned in the space between said two spaced straight wires in each group and lying in a plane generally parallel to said two straight wires..

11. The woven wire cloth defined in ,claim 10 wherein the locking means comprises a plurality of crimped warp wires, one of said plurality being situated between spaced straight wires in each group. 

1. A woven wire cloth for use in filters and the like comprising: a plurality of generally straight warp wires; a plurality of crimped fill wires, each crimped fill wire having alternately downwardly and upwardly facing bights, each fill wire passing alternately over and under spaced ones of said warp wires, and each straight warp wire being passed over by at least one of said crimped fill wires and engaged by at least one of said downwardly facing bights of said fill wires, and being passed under at least one of said crimped fill wires laterally adjacent to said fill wire passing over said warp wire and engaged by at least one of said upwardly facing bights of said fill wires; and a plurality of crimped warp wires lying in planes parallel to the straight warp wires, each crimped warp wire having alternately downwardly and upwardly facing bights, each bight of said crimped warp wires having at least one fill wire engaged therein and having at least one fill wire adjacent the outside thereof, some of the crimped fill wires being engaged in a bight of each crimped warp wire and other of the crimped fill wires lying adjacent the outside of the bight of each crimped warp wire and never being engaged in a bight of the crimped warp wires.
 2. The woven wire cloth defined in claim 1 wherein the plurality of generally straight warp wires comprises spaced groupings of the straight warp wires, each grouping comprising at least two straight wires and wherein each of the crimped warp wires lies between two of the straight wires in a grouping.
 3. The woven wire cloth defined in claim 1 wherein said engaged crimped fill wires are engaged on the outside of their own bights.
 4. The woven wire cloth defined in claim 1 wherein each crimped warp wire engages the same fill wires.
 5. The woven wire cloth defined in claim 1 wherein there are two non-engaged fill wires Lying between adjacent engaged fill wires, said adjacent engaged fill wires being engaged in bights of the crimped warp wires facing in opposite directions.
 6. The woven wire cloth defined in claim 1 wherein there is an even number of straight warp wires received within each bight of each crimped fill wire.
 7. The woven wire defined in claim 6 wherein one of said crimped warp wires is received between the even number of straight warp wires within each bight of each fill wire.
 8. The woven wire cloth defined inc claim 6 wherein there are two straight warp wires received within each bight of each fill wire, said two straight warp wires being spaced from each other.
 9. The woven wire cloth defined in claim 6 wherein each crimped fill wire passes alternately over and under adjacent pairs of said straight warp wires, each of the straight warp wires of each pair being separated by a crimped warp wire lying in a plane generally parallel to the straight warp wires.
 10. A woven wire cloth for use in filters and the like comprising: a plurality of generally straight warp wires; a plurality of crimped fill wires, each fill wire passing alternately over and under spaced groups of straight warp wires, each group comprising at least two straight wires, said two straight wires in each group being spaced from each other; and means for locking the crimped fill wires in place, the locking means being positioned in the space between said two spaced straight wires in each group and lying in a plane generally parallel to said two straight wires.
 11. The woven wire cloth defined in claim 10 wherein the locking means comprises a plurality of crimped warp wires, one of said plurality being situated between spaced straight wires in each group. 